Faded Memories
by Ronniellefan
Summary: Ronnie thinks that Danielle has died, but when she visits her father's house she finds out the truth. With Danielle suffereing from amnesia and Ronnie struggling to tell her who she is, will they get their happy ending?
1. Chapter 1

**This idea popped into my head and I had to write it. It's set just after Archie's death at Christmas and Ronnie and Roxy have gone to visit the house in Weymouth. Everything that has happened in Eastenders has happened, except maybe Danielle hadn't died as everyone had thought…**

**This chapter is just a bit of an introduction and everything will become clearer in the next chapter, hope you enjoy it!**

"Roxy, come on! It's raining," Ronnie cried as she gently soothed Amy up and down in her arms, kissing the top of her head and taking in her baby smell. She softly lifted her head and stared at her sister who was slowly making her way out of her red jeep.

"Orite, I'm coming Ron!" Roxy called back as she slammed the car door shut and walked around the back of the car, locking it as she did so. She smiled at her sister who was surveying the large house in front of them, her eyes returning to the baby in her arms as she squirmed around. "It's hard to believe he's gone," she muttered as they stared at their father's estate.

Ronnie didn't reply; she was too occupied with her own thoughts of how everything could have been. She could have had all of this and more, but it was if onlys; nothing would ever be perfect again. "Let's get you inside hey," she whispered into Amy's ear as she made her way to the door.

"Do you have the keys Rox?" she questioned as she protected herself and her niece from the chilly wind and hard-hitting rain, in the porch area in front of the door.

"Yes Ron, I'm not totally incapable…" Roxy smirked as she fished around in her pocket, proudly smiling as she produced a shining set of keys, wavering them in front of Ronnie's face. "See," she said as she gradually unlocked the front door and indicated for Ronnie to enter.

Ronnie's eyes drifted around the hallway, drinking in every feature and remembering the oh-so-distant childhood memories of her home in Weymouth. So many things had happened here, so many painfully memories and so many moments Ronnie wanted to forget. Only a couple of years ago, in the very room to her left Archie had told her that her baby, her one desire in life, had died; but he had lied, he had lied and hurt not only Ronnie but caused unforgivable pain to Ronnie's dearest possession, her child.

It was nearing nine months since Ronnie had last held her, since she had seen her childlike features and heard her voice, and the time would get further and further away because Danielle was dead, she was gone; and how ever hard it was for Ronnie to admit, she knew that she would have to accept it. She was never going to see her baby again, never. It broke her heart to think about it, to think about how she had been so cruel and let her daughter down; she hadn't realised what was in front of her for so long before it had gone, before Danielle had been so cruelly snatched away.

"Ron, are you ok?" Roxy cautiously asked as she studied her sister, knowing full well what was flashing through her mind.

"I'm fine Rox, really" Ronnie replied attempting a small smile at her sister before turning her attention to her niece, pulling faces and attempting to make her smile.

Ronnie remained in the same position for a while longer as Roxy made her way into the living room and made herself comfortable, falling onto the sofa and putting her legs up. The house, to Ronnie, had an eerie atmosphere, something didn't feel quite right; a floorboard creaked above her making her jump with fright. Her eyes followed the sound, instantly watching the ceiling as she rocked Amy in her arms. "Its ok baby," she whispered into Amy's ear, as she felt her tense up and let out a little cry.

Slowly, Ronnie made her way into the living room, still cuddling Amy. "This house gives me the freaks," she commented as she sat down next to Roxy, passing over the baby who was feigning tiredness.

"Don't be stupid Ron," Roxy joked as she kissed her daughter's head, "this is our home, mine yours and Amys!"

A small smile crept across Ronnie's face, wishing that just one more person could be there with them, one more blonde Mitchell. Her solemn moment was interrupted by the sound of the stairs creaking. "What was that Rox?"

"What was what Ron?" Roxy softly ran her fingers through Amy's wispy blonde hair, unable to believe just how fast her little girl was growing up.

"The stair's - they were creeping," Ronnie spoke as she turned her head around, allowing her blonde hair to swiftly follow her; her eyes shot wide open as she heard the sound again.

Roxy stared at her sister, narrowing her eyes in slight confusion, "It's probably just the wind Ron…"

"Roxy!" Ronnie cried out as she turned her head to her sister, moving it slightly too fast and becoming light headed, "It was almost definitely not the wind, it isn't even windy!" She sighed as she pointed to the window, the tiny rain drops dripping down the window as if chasing one another.

She had spent many of her day's staring out the windows of this house; more often than not praying that her baby was safe and that they would be reunited in the near future. She had only just turned fifteen when she first returned home, it had been over a week since she had seen her darling daughter and nothing could have prepared her to return home to the bedroom she had spent so long preparing for her child.

She had cried herself to sleep that night, and the following nights, the image of her daughter never leaving her mind and her desperate cries for her mummy echoing through her mind making Ronnie's suffering even worse.

"Go and check it out then Ron, if you're so worried," Roxy replied as she cooed over her daughter, wondering why her sister was making sure a big deal over nothing, it was only a creaking pipe wasn't it?

"Fine, I will" Ronnie defiantly answered her sister before standing up and making her way out of the living room, pausing at the doorway as she did so to watch her sister and niece, they looked so happy together. Why couldn't that have been me and my baby?

She curiously walked around the hallway, gazing up the stairs as she did so, before walking into the kitchen, she hated this place; it held so many memories. Times she just wanted to forget. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of blonde. Quickly, she swiveled her head and saw it again; the unmistakable blonde hair of her daughter.

She shook her head, gently shutting her eyes. She had seen this so many times, so many times she had seen her baby, wished it was her, followed this memory inside her head, called out her baby's name, and been disappointed. Her daughter was dead. She was gone. She hated herself for letting it happen, but it had.

But curiosity was getting the better of her, she had to follow it. She ran around the corner of the stairs, dodging the coat that had fallen and made her way into the kitchen. Danielle, her baby. She needed to get to her, needed to see her. "Danielle," she silently cried.

She squinted her eyes as she saw the perfect shaped woman stood in front of her, looking slightly older than she remembered. She shook her head and shut her eyes once more, she didn't believe it. She looked so real, so life like. Maybe…no it was stupid. Ronnie had seen her body, she had visited the morgue and she had gone to her funeral, it wasn't her baby, it wasn't.

No matter how many times she closed her eyes, Danielle remained there. Confusion flooded across her baby's face as the seconds past and Ronnie stood staring in awe at her. Ronnie's voice was coarse and breaking as she spoke, the tears become welled up behind her eyes and her voice breaking with emotion, "Danielle, baby…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all the reviews; I'm glad you all liked it. **

"Danielle, baby…" Ronnie said as she felt the tears flood into her eyes, this wasn't happening surely. Life was always so cruel on Ronnie; she never got what she wanted, not ever. Her eyes didn't dare leave her baby, not even for a minute as she watched her daughter process what was happening.

But Ronnie was growing impatient, she needed to speak to her baby, she needed to hear her voice, see her muscles move; prove that this actually was happening, show that her baby really was alive. She reached out her hand, shifting her position gently closer to her daughter, her fingers shaking and her whole body filled with nerves. This was it, this really was her daughter.

Danielle narrowed her eyes as the blonde woman nearened. She recognized her from somewhere, but she couldn't tell where. She was so familiar, so so familiar. Her eyes glared at the outstretched hand as it became closer, within reaching distance. She tried to move her feet, to get away from this stranger but she couldn't, there was a subconscious part of her brain ordering her to stay and let the touch of this woman collide with her own skin.

Ronnie watched her little girl, taking in all of her movements and actions; she couldn't understand why Danielle hadn't spoken to her. She was this girl's mother, the woman who gave birth to her and cradled her as she thought she was losing her forever; why was Danielle just stood there? Did she think Ronnie had known she had been here; it wouldn't be the first time her father had lied about something like this.

Ronnie felt sick as she attempted to shrug off that fear; the fear that Danielle hated her for not been here, for not supporting her and helping her recover from her accident. But she hadn't known, she hadn't. If she had, she would have supported her little girl; she would have been there through all the pain and tears and held her until she fell asleep every night.

"I'm…I'm sorry Danielle," she whispered, apologizing – for what she wasn't sure but it felt like the right thing to do. She needed Danielle to understand, she needed to mother this child, mother her child. "I didn't know you were here, if I had... if I had, I would have come and got you, please Danielle,"

There were mere inches between them, separating them from physical contact, as Ronnie stopped in front of Danielle, her breath hitching in her throat as she stared in awe at her daughter, unable to believe that this was real, that Danielle was alive. Alive and well.

She felt her fingers trembling with nerves; she wanted everything to be right, for it to be perfect just like her daughter. She closed her eyes, gently shutting them before she moved her hand the last inch, this was it. This is what she had spent the past nine months wishing she could have back…

She opened her eyes as she felt her hand fall through the air, panic overcoming her as she realised Danielle wasn't where she was a few seconds ago. It wasn't a dream, it wasn't she thought to herself. Her baby was there, Danielle – her Amy – she was there, she was alive. She shifted her eyes a few centimeters to the right, her sight latching onto the blonde girl leant up against the work surface, breathing heavily, her lips poised and ready to speak,

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The young Mitchell demanded as she confronted the woman in front of her, unbeknown to her – she was also this woman's daughter, her most precious possession.

"Danielle…" Ronnie spoke quietly as she felt her voice break, pain shooting through her whole body as she heard the tone and the words her darling child spoke, but fill with love as she heard the voice she had fallen asleep to every night.

"How do you know my name?" Danielle suspiciously questioned, using the granite covered work surface to support her weight. Her fingers gently tightened around the edge as she pressed hard, not really knowing what to do. There was a stranger in her home – maybe more – and she didn't know what to do; Archie hadn't told her what to do in situations like this.

"It's me, it's Ronnie, Danielle…" Ronnie continued to plead with her daughter. She had expected everything to be perfect, not that she was expecting to be reunited with her daughter again. But after clasping her eyes on her, she had known everything was going to be alright, that they were going to be together. A little bit of her, a small bit deep inside, had expected rejection; she couldn't blame Danielle, not after the way she had treated her but this, this was so much worse than rejection.

Maybe Archie had put her up to it; the cruel, evil, twisted man he was. But Danielle, her sweet Danielle, wasn't like this. She was caring, she was loving, she was beautiful, she was perfect. Her 'last word' had been mum, that's how much she loved Ronnie, she wouldn't act like this, she wouldn't. I know that bit of information, Ronnie thought.

"I don't know who you are – I don't know a Ronnie," Danielle protested as she saw the hurt in the blonde's eyes. Ronnie. Ronnie. She recognized that name, she wasn't sure where from but she did, as the words slipped off her tongue feeling so familiar. She stared at her, trying to remember where she knew her from but she couldn't…her mind was a blank, "What are you doing here?"

"Danielle, please. It's me…its Ronnie, your m…" Ronnie felt a single tear stream down her face, as she tried to control to flow of tears that she felt burden her eyelids. She just wanted to hold her baby, hold her in her arms and never let go, feel her daughter's heartbeat against hers.

Just as she was about to explain who she was, she heard Roxy's calls echo through the hallway, dodging her eyes from her daughter for only a moment, whose face was overcome with panic and fear. Her heart was being torn; did she stay or did she go for a second to tell Roxy what was happening; her head ruled her heart and she decided to go and tell Roxy, so that her and Danielle would be able to talk in peace.

"I'll be one minute, Danielle – one minute, stay here ok?" She pleaded with her daughter, hoping that she would stay where she was and they would be able to talk. She felt so helpless, so defeated, when she had realised that Danielle hadn't known who she was but part of her felt glad that she wouldn't remember all the things she had said so cruelly and unintentionally, whilst not knowing who this precious teenager was.

Ronnie ran out of the room, practically bumping into her sister as she did so, not wanting to be parted from her daughter for too long; the seconds that had passed had already felt like hours.

"Careful Ron!" Roxy cried out as she steadied herself from falling over, clasping onto her sister's arm for support.

"Danielle – she, she's…" Ronnie blurted out her words, them not leaving her mouth fast enough as she tried to speak, her voice hushed but the words barely understandable "Danielle, she's in there. He lied again Rox, he lied,"

"Slow down Ron," Roxy attempted to usher her sister to the living room to calm her down and get some sense; her sister had mention Danielle and her father lying causing complete confusion to cast over Roxy's mind,

"No! Get off me Roxy," Ronnie cried out as she was forced further away from her baby, from her Danielle, "Danielle is alive, Roxy, she's in there" Ronnie slowly spoke, indicating to the kitchen with her spare hand, "He lied Roxy! He lied!" she cried out, the pain in her voice unable to be covered by her cries.

"Ronnie," Roxy soothed, gently pulling her sister into a hug and flattening down her hair, "I know it's hard but she's gone, I'm so sorry but she has," she whispered into her sister's ear; knowing full well that Ronnie hadn't been coping since Danielle's death no matter how much she protested she was.

Ronnie forcefully pulled away, the tears now spurting out of her eyes, "No! She's there Roxy, she is, she is," Ronnie dragged her sisters arm and pulled her into the kitchen, her eyes scanning around the room, her heart breaking as she realised that Danielle had gone, "She was here, she was!"

Roxy felt her heart breaking even further for her sister, as she heard the hysterical cries of Danielle and baby echoing through the empty room; she had such a hard life, and when she finally got what she had been dreaming off, it was so cruelly snatched away.

**So just where did Danielle go? All will be revealed in Chapter 3! Hope you enjoyed it. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay in posting but I have been so busy. March is going to be a busy month for me so updates won't be as regular but I'll try and post when I can! Hope you enjoy it.**

Danielle had left the kitchen as soon as the blonde haired woman had; running as fast as she could up the stairs at the back of the house. The curling staircase had meant she could see what was happening below her as she heard the arguments of two women and the blood hurling cries of her name. As she reached the top, she leant back on the cream coloured walls and sighed. Everything was so confusing, this woman, this _Ronnie _knew her name, she knew who she was but Danielle had no idea who she was.

She racked her brain, trying to find even the slightest bit of information that would help her understand who this woman was but she couldn't. She didn't know who she was. Maybe she was a friend of her mum or dads, of Andy and Lizzies, maybe she was a friend of Archie or a friend of Gareth. Danielle just didn't know.

She gently supported herself against the wall as she made her way to her bedroom, the second room on the right from the main staircase, keeping her breath under wraps as she tried to be as quiet as she could. She reached the brown coloured door and slowly pressed the handle down, before entering her bedroom. This had been her room for the past nine months, since she had returned home from her fall. He had been so kind, offering Danielle a place to stay when she needed it most and helping her remember the parts of the year she had forgotten.

Her eyes scanned around the room, the room that had been set up for her when she had arrived as she collapsed onto the bed, burying her head into her soft pillow; wishing and hoping that these women would disappear.

Downstairs, Ronnie was still protesting to Roxy that Danielle had been there, and was _still _in this house.

"She was here, Rox – she was, you have to believe me," Ronnie pleaded as she grabbed hold of her sister's arm, her eyes darting around the kitchen and into the hallway beside it hoping, and praying, that she would catch just one more glance of her beloved little girl.

"Ron," Roxy gulped, a large lump forming in her throat as she anxiously worried for her sister's wellbeing, and seeing the continuous stream of tears that fell down her face and showed no chance of stopping down.

"No Roxy!" Ronnie cried as she viciously let her sister's arm be released from her grip, "She was," With that, Ronnie ran out of the kitchen, scrapping away the tears that slowly made their way down her face; she had to find her little girl, she had to.

She rapidly made her way up the stairs, almost tripping over her own feet as she did, before slowing her speed down as she reached the top. Her breathing was heavy and erratic as she slowly made her way around the eerie corridor, drinking in every feature of the bare walls which she had seen almost everyday of her childhood.

She paused for a second, as she traced her hand across the darker coloured squares on the wall, knowing full well that pictures of her and her little sister had hung there. Confusion flooded her mind as she wondered why her father had taken them down…unless…she couldn't even bare to think about it. Her mind was overcome with thoughts that he had turned her daughter against her, her own flesh and blood, and made Danielle forget about her.

Guilt. That was what she felt; she wished she had spent the past nine months with her daughter, comforted her, simply held her in her arms and told her that she would never let go. She felt guilty for trying to replace her daughter with another baby; nothing could ever replace her daughter, her perfect Danielle. She felt guilty for making people believe she had moved on because she hadn't; she had felt so alone without her baby. And most of all, she felt guilty for allowing her daughter's apparent death to happen; if she had just believed her and taken her in her arms on that cold April night, none of this pain would have existed. But the biggest part of her mind was filled with guilt for treating her daughter, her own daughter, so cruelly.

Slowly, she made her way down the corridor, watching her every movement along the brown carpet as she received goosebumps across her body – the tension and eeriness in this house was unreal. It felt so cold, so empty, so alone. She paused as she reached the second door on her right – her old room – and lingered around the door. One look wouldn't hurt would it, she thought, as her breath hitched in her throat and she slowly pushed the door open.

So many things had happened in this room, so many tears and so many fears of anguish and despair. She had cradled her bump every night in this room, her years of innocence snatched away. This had been the room where her father had down unimaginable, unforgivable things, where he had taken away her innocence for ever and ruined Ronnie's perceptions of men. This was the room where her father had raped her.

She hadn't told anyone, not even Roxy. She felt disgusted whenever she thought of it, she felt filthy. Those feelings, she had kept them inside of her since it happened, since just before her thirteenth birthday. She just hoped beyond anything, that if Danielle had stayed in this house then he hadn't done such things to her, her precious, innocent little baby. She felt bile rise in her throat at just the thought, she was supposed to protect her baby, protect her from things like him.

She peered her head around the door, feeling the smell of her own room and being flooded with happy times when she had held her baby in her stomach, held her safe, as she stepped inside, gently shutting the door behind her.

She gazed around at the faded purple walls and her small brown cupboard. It was only a small room, but it meant everything to her, it had been her space, her room – until _that _night. But even then, when she had found out she was pregnant with Joel's baby, it had stopped, her father had stopped and this room became her haven, her place for her and her baby.

Her eyes latched onto a small blonde figure curled up on the bed, her head buried in the pillow. Her heart started beating at a rapid pace as her eyes widened. There she was, there her baby was.

She slowly made her way over to the bed, biting her lip as she did. Her daughter's short blonde hair was spread all over the pillow, covering her face from view and Ronnie could hear quiet sobs, falling onto the pillow. Her heart ached to take her daughter in her arms and tell her how much she loved her; but she didn't want to scare her, she had seen the way she had acted before – her own daughter didn't know who she was.

"Danielle?" She whispered, her voice loving and calm as she stood above the bed, watching over her baby.

Danielle, swiftly, turned her head lifting it from the pillow, letting out a gasp as she did. She sat up and gently edged away from the woman, cowering into the corner where the bed met the wall, "What are you doing here? How did you find me?" She quivered.

"Danielle, sweetie," Ronnie couldn't help but mother her child, if Danielle really couldn't remember who she was then she would tell her daughter, but show her first that she wasn't cruel, that she wasn't heartless but that she loved Danielle. This was her second chance to make things right and she wasn't going to ruin it, "I want you to listen to me ok?"

Danielle meekly nodded as she stared at this woman, who made herself comfortable on the edge of the bed. Danielle brought her feet closer to her body, much to the shock of Ronnie. Her heart was breaking at seeing how scared her daughter was, how everything didn't make sense to her.

"You know Archie right?" Ronnie soothed as she crossed her legs, not daring to take her eyes off her daughter for even a second. She was in awe at her beauty, at her perfection, at just her. Her question was replied with a small nod as Ronnie continued – her voice timid and calm as she tried to encourage her daughter to open up to her, to trust in her, "Well, I'm his daughter,"

"He…he didn't tell me he had a daughter," Danielle whispered as she studied this woman's face; now she could see the similarities between her and her father.

Ronnie smiled at her daughter as she slowly reached out her hand, gently brushing across her daughter's skin. It felt so unreal but yet so natural as if a part of Ronnie had finally healed, finally healed from all the pain. She felt the tingles shoot up and down her spine as she let her heart guide her, wrapping her hand around those of Danielle.


	4. Chapter 4

Danielle's eyes intently watched as Ronnie's fingers wrapped around her hand, her fingers and hand frozen as she felt Ronnie's soft and comforting touch. It felt so right, so natural but yet this woman was just a stranger, a person she had only met not even half an hour ago. She pulled her hand from Ronnie's grip as she shuffled slightly backwards into the wall. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her head spinning and reeling at the fact that this woman was apparently Archie's daughter, his _daughter_.

Not in the nine months that she had been here had he mentioned any children, thinking about it, he hadn't really mentioned anything about his family. Only Janine, she seemed friendly enough when Danielle had met her, but she kept herself to herself as if she was hiding something.

Ronnie felt her face fall as Danielle pulled out of her grip, it had felt so right – she had felt so motherly and protective as she held her little girl's hand in hers, just like she had done all those years ago. Her daughter's soft, gentle skin had collided with her own and nothing had ever felt so perfect to Ronnie, it had made her whole body fill with tingles.

She fixated her loving eyes on Danielle as she saw her daughter cower further into the corner, her heart shattering as she saw the fear in her baby's eyes. She left her breathing hitch in her throat as she thought about what to say; she wanted to talk to her child, to start a proper conversation but she couldn't think of anything to say.

They sat in their own little words for a few moments before Danielle abruptly spoke, "You said you are Archie's daughter…but that doesn't explain how you know who I am,"

Ronnie breathed deeply before she replied, fiddling with the ring on her left finger as a source of comfort; she didn't need to Danielle now, they could get to know each other first Ronnie thought. "Danielle…how long have you been here?" She questioned quietly as she attempted to explore through her daughter's mind and finally get the answers as to why her daughter was alive and living at Archie's home.

"Since April last year, after my fall," Danielle replied as she shot a confused look at the mother she didn't recognize, "Why?"

Ronnie raised her head from her interlocked hands as she darted her eyes towards her daughter, "Fall?" She whispered questioningly.

"Yes, I…I had a fall last April," Danielle confirmed as she folded her arms across her chest, allowing herself to relax a small amount.

"You…you had a fall?" Ronnie whispered again as her brain finally clicked as to what had happened; her father had not only lied to her, but he had lied to her precious Danielle. He had been so cruel to Ronnie and denied her her one piece of happiness and at the same time, he had told Danielle that she had had a fall – not been involved in a car accident that had seen Ronnie lose the one person she truly loved.

"Yes," Danielle suspiciously replied once again, her eyes narrowing at the woman who was gently edging closer towards her.

"Danielle - where did you have this fall? What happened?" Ronnie questioned as she gently moved herself forward with her hands, determined to receive answers and help her confused daughter remember who she was.

"I was doing some cleaning outside and I fell from the ladders," Danielle slowly explained as she recalled the memory from her mind, the situation in which Archie had told her what had happened as she lay in a hospital bed, her memory a blank, "I…I suffered from a bit of amnesia, but Archie filled me in the parts of my memory that had just gone…"

"What did he tell you? How much did you forget?" Ronnie pressed her child for answers, desperately pleading that she would find the answers she craved and that her baby, her Danielle, would be back in her arms where she belonged.

"He told me what had happened and just that I could come and live here with him, it was only a couple of months – about half way through 2008, I can't really remember," Danielle admitted as she breathed deeply as Ronnie closed the gap separating them, "Why does it matter so much to you?"

"Because Danielle, you're my da…" Ronnie almost admitted it, almost let them be reunited but the silence was filled by Roxy shouting for her sister and a banging on the door. Danielle flinched at the sound as Ronnie's eyes darted from the door to her daughter and back again. She reached out her hand and gently let it brush over her daughter's skin, as she whispered comforting words to her daughter, "Its ok sweetie,"

Danielle smiled a weak smile at her mum as she watched Ronnie leave the comfort of the bed and open the door, leaving the room and Danielle alone. She let out a large sigh as she flopped down on the bed, resting her head on the pillow and gently closing her eyes.

Ronnie quietly closed the door behind her as she came face to face with her sister; why couldn't Roxy just leave her and Danielle alone, together where they should be. "What is it Rox? Come to tell me I'm seeing more things?" Ronnie spitefully said to her sister, spitting her words out as she did.

"No…I, I came to see if you were alright actually," Roxy said quietly as she held Amy in her arms, gently rocking the sleeping baby.

'I'm fine, and Danielle, she is too,"

"Ron," Roxy started, desperate not to have another argument and just get her sister the help that she so desperately needed. The grief for her daughter was obviously not being dealt with and Roxy just wanted her sister to be happy again.

"Roxy!" Ronnie hissed quietly, hoping not to disturb her peaceful daughter, her Danielle, pointing towards the door with her slender finger, "She's in there, she is,"

Roxy felt her heart shatter as she saw the pleading from her sister, the desperation in her voice. She didn't have any words left to say, she didn't know what to say to make it better, to make any of it better – her sister was broken beyond repair and the only person who could help was dead.

Ronnie slowly opened the door to her old bedroom, feeling the love radiating from it – and her whole body feeling weak as she saw her perfect little girl asleep on the bed, and the silence in the eerie old house being filled by a loud gasp from her sister.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I haven't updated Can we make this work? And All I need it you, its just I'm so busy at the moment I can only update once a week and when I have inspiration and I'm a bit stuck with those stories at the moment. Any suggestions for them are welcome and I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

Silently, Ronnie walked through the open door; struck by her daughter's peacefulness. She gently opened the cupboard doors, finding the blanket that she had been so sure would have remained occupying the top shelf, and pulled it out, gracefully shutting the cupboard. She opened the blanket as she reached the edge of the bed and covered her daughter's sleeping body in the old pink blanket, carefully tucking her in.

She hadn't noticed Roxy stood beside her as she brushed Danielle's soft blonde hair out of her eyes, sweeping it behind Danielle's perfectly formed ears. She traced her slender finger along Danielle's cheekbone remarking to herself how beautiful her daughter was, she really was. Ronnie placed a kiss on Danielle's forehead, soothingly whispering I love you as she reluctantly pulled away.

To her surprise, Roxy had remained gawping at Danielle as Ronnie had put her daughter to bed. Ronnie smiled at Roxy before walking out of the room, her echoing footsteps been the only sound. Roxy instantly followed, before Ronnie pulled the door to and relaxed on the floor outside of the bedroom.

Roxy shuffled down to Ronnie's height, running her back along the wall as a means of balance. Her only words were forced ones, barely above a whisper, "How?"

Ronnie shrugged her shoulders as she aimlessly twisted a ring around her finger, not wanting to give her sister eye contact. "I…I don't know," She replied, "Danielle said something about a fall and suffering from amnesia," Ronnie recalled as she repeated her daughter's words in her head, those perfect words that had left her little girls mouth and fulfilled one of her most desired wishes – to hear her daughter's voice once more.

"But…but dad? He must have known," Roxy breathed as she struggled to get her head around this information, her father wasn't that cruel was he?

"I don't know Roxy; all I know is that he kept her from me again. He's tried to keep us apart but I'm not letting him succeed," Ronnie whispered, a hint of venom in her voice as she spoke about _him_. She had wanted more than anything for the past nine months to just relive events, to not throw her daughter out and reject her and say all those hateful things, but to love her daughter and to have held her close and never let her go.

She had replayed her baby's last moments over and over again, her mind never been empty of her little girl. She had punished herself time and time again, wishing and hoping that it was all a bad dream and she would wake up to see Danielle sleeping beside her. The morning after had been the worst day of Ronnie's life, knowing that it was all her fault her baby was dead and her fears been confirmed by Andy Jones.

If only she had believed Danielle and questioned her father's cruel intentions more then they could have lived together, been together, loved each other and become the mother and daughter they both craved. Her daughter – her little girl – had tried and failed to tell her about her father, about his lies, but she had tarnished over this innocent girl's words and thrown her out, branding her own child a liar, onto the cold tarmac in Albert Square.

The feeling of guilt and physically sickness she had felt when she found the locket would never leave her; she felt so helpless and unstable. All the things she had said to her child, the way she had treated her and the things she had told her about her baby, the one thing in her life that Ronnie loved with all her heart. The tears flowed uncontrollably as Ronnie raced to find her little girl, her father once again delaying her quest and standing in the way of the one thing that mattered.

When she had reached Danielle, all she saw was perfection. This perfect little baby she had held in her arms disappeared from her thoughts and was replaced by her teenage daughter, her Danielle. She could only manage 'baby' to escape her lips and was rewarded with the most gorgeous smile she had ever seen. Nothing else in the world had mattered at the point and Ronnie had truly believed all her dreams had come true, everything she had ever wanted was there for her to take.

She didn't like to remember the feelings of dread and emptiness that followed as she felt her beautiful little girl slip away in her arms. She held tightly onto her baby's precious hand and whispered soothing words as Danielle slowly and undoubtedly drifted away. She had shed so many tears that night, so many that by the time Danielle's 'funeral' arrived she had no more to cry.

Ronnie drifted out of her thoughts as Roxy spoke to her, none of it mattered now anyway. Danielle was safe, she was alive and she was happy – well what Ronnie had seen of her. What was in the past, should stay in the past and if Danielle couldn't remember what happened – Ronnie didn't want to be the one to drag up all the memories and hurt. They had both had enough of that.

"Ron, what did you mean amnesia?" Roxy questioned quietly as she stretched out her legs in front of her.

"She…she," Ronnie hesitated on how much information to divulge into her sister; she had to take things steady and slow and she knew that if she told Roxy then Roxy would insist Ronnie had to tell Danielle the truth, "She just forgot a few things that's all,"

"Like what? What things Ron?" Roxy pressed as doubt clouded her mind, nothing made sense since they had arrived. Danielle was alive?! It was difficult to get her head around that fact; she didn't know how or why she was but all that mattered was that her niece was alive and that Ronnie was happy.

"Just a few things Rox, leave it ok!" Ronnie snapped as she twisted her head to meet her sister's gaze, narrowing her eyes as she did. It wasn't Roxy's business. Danielle was her daughter – _hers_. Nobody had the right to tell her what to do or become involved in her child's business.

Roxy followed her sister's wondering eyes, her personal thoughts being thrown around her mind. The one prominent thought that was swimming around in her brain, was what exactly Danielle had forgotten. For Ronnie to be acting like this, it must be something pretty big. And what about Danielle's reaction? Running out of the kitchen and hiding in Ronnie's old room? Something must be going on Roxy pondered. The biggest doubt in her mind was that Danielle had forgotten she had told Ronnie or even found out who she was, depending on how much of her memory had being wiped. The doubt was creeping further and further into Roxy's mind, demanding that she found out the answer,

"She does remember telling you doesn't she Ron?"

Ronnie gulped hard as she heard the words her sister spoke, holding back the tears that formed like little crystals in her eyes. The truth, in reality, was so much worse. Ronnie could possibly deal with Danielle cowering away from her but knowing who she was but Danielle had no idea, no idea at all that Ronnie was infact her mother – and Ronnie didn't want to be the one to break it to her, desperately afraid of rejection.

Ronnie gently shook her head, allowing a single tear to fall as she let her eyes connect with Roxy's. Her words were stuttered and slow as she spoke, "She doesn't remember who I am Rox," she admitted, the words painfully stabbing through her heart.

"What? Of course she remembers Ron, you're her mum!"

"She doesn't Rox, and I…I don't know how I can even tell her," Ronnie admitted as she brought her crossed legs closer to her and leant back against the wall. Her baby was less than 10 meters away and Ronnie couldn't even hug here without arousing suspicion. She just wanted Danielle to know who she was and not be faced with the difficult task of revealing her identity.

"How can she not know?" Roxy hissed at her sister, leaning forward as she did so.

"She doesn't ok! It's not her fault, but I haven't told her yet, so don't go telling her," Ronnie replied, a flash of hurt fading across her face.

"You need to tell her Ron," Roxy sympathized.

"I can't Rox. I'm scared," Ronnie admitted sorrowfully, desperate to not be seen as weak in front of her little sister, "I…I don't know how," Ronnie had felt desperate and inconsolable when she had realised who Danielle really was, the upset and frustration that Danielle hadn't told her earlier. Ronnie repeated over and over again that if she had only been the type of person Danielle wanted as a mum maybe they would have been together but Ronnie wasn't sure how to break the news – terrified of her daughter's rejection.

"But you need to tell Danielle the truth Ron, she needs to know," Roxy pressed.

"Tell me what?" Danielle questioned as the bedroom door slowly creaked open.

**So will Ronnie tell the truth? Find out in chapter 6!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry I haven't updated this in ages! Hope this chapter is ok since I'm a bit rusty with this story.**

"Tell me what?" Danielle repeated when she received no answer. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, moving them from one blonde woman to the next. She recognized Ronnie, or whatever she was called, but the other blonde was a total stranger to her. However, something about her – Danielle wasn't sure what, but something was familiar – like it was when she had first seen Ronnie.

Ronnie's breathing increased as she just watched her daughter, watched her baby. She didn't want to tell her baby – not just yet, she wanted to get to know the confident, out going Danielle not the one she had continuously beaten down and destroyed to a timid teenager expecting rejection. She wanted to prove the love she had for her daughter, show the caring side that she had hidden away for so many years and show Danielle that she cared more than anything for her daughter – she was all she had left.

Roxy moved her eyes from Ronnie to Danielle and back again, waiting for her sister to speak out and tell the truth, tell her niece who they were. She casually sunk her teeth into her lip as she watched Ronnie stand up and place her hand on Danielle's shoulder, gently turning her away from Roxy's glare and pushing the door open with her foot.

Ronnie stared an unappreciative stare at her little sister before indicating, with a smile and a small hand movement, for Danielle to enter the bedroom which belonged to both women. Entering the room with only her daughter caused the tension to increase between both women; Ronnie's nervousness and Danielle's questioning were the main thoughts that filled the air. Ronnie gently closed the door and indicated for Danielle to take a seat on the bed.

"Tell me what?" Danielle stammered for the third time as she perched herself on the edge of the bed; slightly embarrassed as she took another look at the blanket that had covered her moments ago. How could she have fallen asleep and embarrassed herself? It's just typical of me, Danielle scorned to herself.

Ronnie sighed heavily before sitting down next to her daughter, placing her hands across her lap. "There's something I have to tell you Danielle," Ronnie admitted as she turned her head to look at her baby.

Danielle raised her eyebrows slightly at Ronnie, encouraging her to continue – well that's what she hoped she was doing. Those big blue eyes, curling eyelashes, pristine eyebrows were so familiar, as if they had been the last sight that Danielle could really remember since her accident. She could remember tears falling from eyes like those and the black make up running down a face and some cries but she didn't know what it was. A dream? A moment that she had forgotten? A figment of her imagination?

Ronnie felt her whole face burst into a smile as she saw Danielle look at her, she was so beautiful, so perfect she thought to herself, she wouldn't want me as her mother, Ronnie pitied herself. Ronnie shook her head slightly as she realised she still had to tell Danielle something, even if it wasn't what she was meant to tell her baby,

"Danielle, this…it might be a bit of a shock to you but I… I have something to tell you about Archie," Ronnie breathed quietly.

Danielle stared in confusion at the mother she didn't recognize and creased her eyebrows and forehead. Why was the woman always so vague she thought to herself? It was as if she was trying to cover something up.

Ronnie continued quietly, not daring to break the silence in the room, "Archie's dead," she coughed slightly, clearing her throat, "He was murdered,"

Danielle felt her mouth fall open; she hadn't seen Archie in a few weeks but that was totally normal and now, now he was dead. Thoughts flew around her head at what seemed like a million miles per hour; Archie was dead?! What would happen to her now she thought? She would be homeless, unemployed and have to return to Telford and face the consequences of shouting unforgivable things at her family.

Archie had been there for her these past few months, filling her in on everything – Janine too. They had reminded her that she had fallen out with her dad and publicly humiliated him in some pub, a few moments of it she could remember especially the white dress and yellow cardigan she was wearing and a few words that she thought she had screamed at him. Pathetic. Freak. She wasn't sure though; all she was doing was piecing together the memories she had with the words Archie told her.

They told her that this was where she had worked, this big old house, and lived at a B and B just down the road; but since her accident Archie had allowed her to stay here for her own safety. Everything had just made sense at the time, and still did. But Archie's death?! His…his murder. That was hard for Danielle to take in.

"What…?" she gasped as her head felt ready to burst with thoughts and her worries, "Dead?" she whispered fearfully.

Ronnie draped her arm around her daughter's shoulder pulling her into her side; feeling her heart pound in her chest as she felt the comforting warm skin of her little girl. She rubbed her hand up and down Danielle's arm as she soothed her daughter, whispering comforting words into her ear, "It's ok Danielle, I know it's hard to understand but he's gone – he's dead," she whispered.

"Who…who killed him?" Danielle asked shyly, as she felt Ronnie's remaining hand entwine around her own hands, which she held on her knees.

"The police they don't know yet sweetie, they're trying to find out," Ronnie soothed as she couldn't help but let the mothering words slip out of her mouth. This was her little girl, _her Amy_, here in her arms. "He wasn't the most popular of people Danielle," She whispered, trying to not let her hate for her father slip out and ruin what was forming the bases of a mother and daughter relationship.

"What?" Danielle breathed, unable to believe that the man she had grown to love could have had enemies. He was like a father figure to her when he was here, always fussing and wanting to know if anything had come back to her about the accident.

"He wasn't a nice person Danielle; you must have seen how he treated people," Ronnie soothed, sure that her father must have turned on her daughter at least once. It made her stomach churn thinking that he was in the house all alone with her daughter for so long; she was so vulnerable and child like and she was here with him.

Ronnie, as a child, had always been strong willed and tough but yet even that didn't stop her father from raping her; and her daughter, her precious baby, he could have done the same as her.

"No! You're wrong!" Danielle cried as she pushed Ronnie's hand away from her arm; Archie was nice, he was loving, he was kind. How could his own daughter say those things about her own father? She pushed herself up from the bad and paced around the room slightly, ranting on at this blonde women, who remained seated, "He was kind, he gave me a home and took me in. I was alone after my accident – my family didn't even come and see me and he was there for me,"

Ronnie breathed in, not daring to raise her voice in fear of scaring her daughter; Danielle needed to know the truth, she needed to see what kind of man he was. The words she had just heard Danielle spoke pierced through her heart, _my family didn't even come and see me_ – if only Danielle knew, Ronnie would have been there every second of every day. "No Danielle, he was cruel, he was a bully. He…he took something very precious from me time and time again. He was an evil old man Danielle,"

Danielle continued to pace around the small room, shaking her head as Ronnie spoke; she couldn't believe her, Archie just wasn't like that. "He wasn't like that!" Danielle cried out once more as she crossed her arms across her chest. "He wasn't…"

Ronnie stood up and slowly stepped forward towards her daughter, "He was Danielle," The words that followed just slipped out, Ronnie didn't mean for them to – she wanted to protect her daughter and keep things like this away from innocent ears but Danielle had to know what a cruel man Archie Mitchell was, "He…he raped me Danielle,"


	7. Chapter 7

"What?" Danielle stuttered, impulses of shock being sent through her whole body. "You're sick, you're lying," her voice become raised as she cried out her thoughts to this woman; Archie wasn't like that, he wasn't.

"I'm…I'm sorry Danielle, just forget I said anything ok," Ronnie felt bile rise in her throat as she realised that she had burdened her daughter with the one secret that was meant to be kept; her child's innocence was now in tatters and Ronnie was stuck as to what to do, how to explain. She wasn't even sure it was the right thing to have said but she needed Danielle to know how cruel her father – her daughter's grandfather – was.

The words had slipped so effortlessly from her tongue, she hadn't even attempted to stop them from falling and now she was regretting it. Her eyes remained transfixed on her daughter who was pacing around the room, her head in her hands as she shook her head from side to side. Ronnie could see Danielle's mouth moving but the words were inaudible, adding to the confusion and hurt that was passing between the two women.

"Just forget what I said…" Ronnie repeated; she was craving to mother her child, her baby but she felt maybe now wasn't the right time; everything was so confusing to her child, to her little girl, and it was breaking her heart. She wanted to tell her daughter who she was, tell her baby that she was her mum, but she couldn't find the words – or the right time.

In the first couple of hours since her daughter's 'death' Ronnie had cursed herself again again, wondering what could have been if her daughter had lived. She had felt so helpless, so guilty that her baby hadn't had the courage to tell her who she was, not that she could blame her little baby. She had been so cruel, so evil to this helpless teenager, to her daughter without realising and rejected her time and time again.

The abortion had hit her worst; knowing that she had felt some kind of connection with Danielle, but not acting upon it and instead abandoning her little girl when she needed her mum the most. The actions were haunting of her own mother, of Glenda, and Ronnie had never felt guilt like it; she had said time and time again that she wouldn't turn into either of her parents but she had, and it pained her to admit it. Glenda's abandonment and Archie's cruel words; she had done both to her precious baby.

And that was aiding the reasons as to why Ronnie should wait to reveal her identity; she wanted to see the old Danielle and not remind her of the terrible and painful past, but to get to know her daughter and relish in the moments they shared. She wanted a clean slate, to start afresh when everything was pain free and simple; it was just two strangers getting to know each other, a mother and daughter relationship forming.

"Forget?" Danielle spat out, as she lifted her head from her hands. "How can I forget something so sick and twisted?"

"Danielle," Ronnie whispered as she looked at her in despair; why had she even mentioned it? Why was she so stupid, Ronnie scorned herself.

"Why would you say something like that? Your own dad! It's sick! You're sick!" Danielle cried out as she finished her rant; her breathing heavy as she finished. Silence filled the air between the two blondes as Ronnie remained on the bed and Danielle stood watching her, shaking her head in disgust.

How could Ronnie say something like that? And say it so causally? It was her dad. Her own dad.

"Danielle, please," Ronnie whispered, a hint of defeat in her voice. How could she get her daughter to understand without telling her? "Just listen to me ok," She indicated for her baby to sit down beside her and Danielle, reluctantly, followed the instruction.

"Nobody knows about it ok, I was almost 13, when it first happened…" Ronnie whispered, albeit reluctant, she needed her daughter to understand, "I never told anybody Danielle, never and nobody can find out about this Danielle, not even Roxy ok? It can be our secret ok sweetie?" Ronnie mothered her child; it came naturally to her as her voice became almost inaudible, a watery smile gracing her features.

Remaining unconvinced, Danielle didn't reply; she remained trapped in her own little world. Everything today had being so unreal, meeting new people, finding out Archie had at least one daughter and that he had been murdered. And of course, this.

"Danielle?" Ronnie whispered again, the worry building up inside her as Danielle remained unresponsive; maybe her dad had done this to her baby, to her precious, innocent little girl, "He…he didn't, didn't touch you did he?" A small sob escaped from Ronnie's throat as she even just thought the thought; god knows what she would do if he actually had.

Danielle's response was instant, "No, no," Her voice was confident and clear as she spoke, "No, he didn't" she reaffirmed.

Ronnie let out a sigh she wasn't even aware she was holding as her whole body filled with relief. Her father hadn't hurt her daughter physically, maybe emotionally, but at least her precious daughter had been safe from his clutches.

"You know, I…I don't even know why I told you," Ronnie thought aloud as she gradually edged nearer to her daughter; closing the distance between them made Ronnie fill with love at this human being beside her, at her own flesh and blood. She wanted them to get to know each other; but there were some things that should be kept secret and that was one of them.

Danielle shrugged in agreement; she didn't know either. But there was something about this woman, about this Ronnie that seemed so familiar. Every time she spoke of looked at her, Danielle could feel the connection growing stronger, and her memory was starting to repair itself. She pictured this woman when she fell asleep, when she closed her eyes. It was like she was a distant memory, a figment of the past, somebody she had forgotten...

**So when will Ronnie tell Danielle? I'm not too sure myself at the moment, I like writing it where Ronnie is the one in Danielle's shoes! Hope you enjoyed it and please review :) **


	8. Authors Note and Spoilers

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I'm so busy with my exams and have literally no time to write! It will probably be another 3 weeks until I post regular updates again and I'm not sure if I will have any updates in this time, so sorry but my exams come first.

I have managed to write a few spoilers and a few parts from each of my stories that should be posted in the next couple of updates so I hope you enjoy them.

* * *

**Can we make this work?**

"No, not my Dani, not my Dani, she can't be,"

"Dad please, just listen to me, let me make you understand," Danielle sobbed as she saw the disappointment and hurt in her father's eyes.

* * *

"Are you ready?"

"I can't meet him, what about my dad, my real dad, I'm betraying him,"

"He wants to meet you Danielle, you're his daughter," Ronnie soothed as she brushed the hair out of Danielle's face.

"In this state?" Danielle spat, pointing down to her bulging belly and swollen ankles, "I look disgusting and I'm not going to meet him just because you want me to!" Danielle stormed out of the room, slamming the living room door behind her as Ronnie sighed loudly, collapsing onto the sofa and letting her head fall into her hands.

* * *

"What are you doing here? Nobody wants you here! Nobody!" Ronnie screeched into his face, "Not me and not my daughter or grandchild – just leave us alone,"

A baby's cries filled the room as Ronnie and Danielle watched on, relief passing through them both as they saw the small pink baby been moved around by the nurses. Everything was perfect; their family was complete.

**

* * *

**

All I need is you

"I think it's best if you go Ronnie, for the both of us," Danielle whispered.

"But…I don't want to go; I want to stay here with you. I want us to be a family Danielle,"

"I can't let my dad down, please…"

"But I need you Danielle, I need you," Ronnie pleaded as the tears leaked from behind her eyes.

* * *

Ronnie opened the door; her tear stained eyes etched across her face and blonde hair bedraggled lying on her shoulders.

"Mum,"

* * *

**Love Changes everything**

"I don't want my daughter staying in a place like this, I want her moved and if you don't I'll move her," Ronnie tried to keep her calm, but her anger was bubbling beneath the surface, ready to escape at any moment. "No, I don't want explanations; I just want my daughter moved. I need to spend time with her alone not in front of this audience," She pointed a slender finger at the nurse but before she could carry on, she was interrupted by a small voice.

"Ronnie?"

* * *

"Why don't you stay for sausage surprise?" Jean questioned as Danielle showed Ronnie the door.

"Oh…I…" She didn't know what Danielle wanted, but upon seeing her daughter's doe eyes expectantly looking up at her, how could she resist? "I'd love to," she smiled.

* * *

"What did you say to her? What did you say?" Ronnie screeched.

"I didn't mean to, it…it just slipped out…"

**

* * *

**

Faded Memories

"It's ok, sweetie, it's ok" Ronnie whispered as she held her daughter's hair back from her face, soothingly rubbing her hand up and down her child's back. "It's ok, I'm here,"

* * *

"I know I should tell you, but I can't...I'm too afraid of rejection Danielle, of hurting you," Ronnie played with her daughter's hair as she slept in her arms, this is how it should have been, how it should be – a mother and daughter together.

* * *

"Why do you have a picture of me in your purse Ronnie? Why do you have such an obsession with me?"

"Listen, I can explain Danielle I can,"

* * *

It couldn't be true, it couldn't. The things she had said, the things she had admitted to Danielle…no it couldn't be. It just couldn't be true. But then everything made sense…

"Mum," Danielle whispered to herself.

**So I hoped you enjoyed reading these spoilers, and I'll try and update when I can! **


	9. Chapter 9

"Shush," Ronnie soothed her niece as she gently rocked her to sleep. Every night since that cold, dark night back in April, Ronnie had sung Hushabye Mountain to Amy, trying to replace the baby she had lost.

"_Did you ever sing to your baby?" Danielle questioned as she sat on the chair opposite Ronnie, looking at her mother with questioning eyes. She was feeling brave; hoping today would be the day she would reveal her true identity._

"_Sing?" Ronnie repeated, shaking her head, "No, I don't think so," How could she have sung to her baby when the radio was on? Every mother sang to their child and it was another experience Ronnie had missed out on, an experience she had desperately prayed she would still be able to do._

Ronnie snapped back out of her daydream as the little girl squirmed in her arms. Gently rocking her until her delicate eyes shut, she placed her in the crib before tucking her into the blankets. She couldn't believe how much this darling little girl had grown up in such a short time, she had already developed a personality mirroring Roxy's and her blonde hair was growing day by day to form adorable blonde ringlets.

Her thoughts couldn't help but drift to her own daughter, currently downstairs with Roxy, who she so desperately hoped would realise the truth minus all the cruel and spiteful things Ronnie had said to her own child! Her own child, how could she not have realised? She scolded to herself at her careless error of judgment, not just then but today as well. How could she have burdened her daughter with such a secret as she had done? It just wasn't right. She was a pathetic excuse for a mother.

After checking Amy once more, Ronnie gently pulled the door to on the bedroom door before heading off downstairs. She was feeling giddy about seeing her daughter once more – for so long she had dreamt about her face and how she wished she could have a few more minutes with her and now, here she was faced with the heart-stopping news that her daughter was alive and well.

She was no longer the teenager that Ronnie had so cruelly damaged but a confident young woman who had grown into a beautiful lady, so considerate and gentle. Her whole body filled with guilt as she thought about how cruel fully she had treated this innocent teenager, her innocent teenager. She had damaged her beyond repair and hurt her badly, but maybe this was her second chance, a second chance to make things right and to tell the truth to her beloved daughter.

As she made her way downstairs she could hear the laughter of the two younger women, their laughter simultaneous with each others and the muffled sound of their chatter. As Ronnie walked into the living room, she was faced with a drunken Danielle and tipsy Roxy.

Danielle sat on the sofa, wobbling a drink in her hand, before attempting to drink it but missing and spilling down her clothes. Roxy burst into a fit of laughter as she witnessed this before attempting to help Danielle wipe it up, spilling some of her own drink in the process. Ronnie stared in complete amazement before Roxy beckoned her over,

"Ron, come and 'ave a drink with me and Dani!" Roxy slurred, "Bring us another over 'an all!"

Ronnie's motherly instinct took over as she approached her daughter, trying to prise the drink out of her daughter's hand. After several unsuccessful attempts, she finally managed to grab the bottle before placing it out of reach and glaring at her sister,

"No, give it back!" Danielle pleaded as she held down on Ronnie's sleeve, looking at the woman sat next to her. Ronnie had to tear her eyes away to stop herself from crying; how she wished she had the courage to tell her daughter.

"I'm sorry sweetie but you need to sober up," Ronnie said as she gently wiped the hair from her daughter's face tucking it behind her ear. "Rox! What have you done to her?" Ronnie scorned at her little sister, whilst whispering to her daughter that she couldn't have another drink.

"We wanted to 'ave some fun!" Roxy cried before pouring herself another drink, holding it out to Danielle who was just about to take it before Ronnie grabbed her arm and stopped her. She'd seen Danielle drunk before but that was before she knew, before she had found out that this girl was her baby. Now, her little girl was too innocent to be drunk, she was only young.

"Roxy!" Ronnie cried as she held her daughter in her arms to stop her swaying.

"What Ronnie? She's 19, it's legal,"

"Shes twenty Rox, twenty." Ronnie corrected her sister, knowing the exact age of her daughter. She had known her age for the past twenty years, the number of days and on her particular bad days, even the hours. "And what about Amy? I'm not going to look after her in the morning, what…."

Before Ronnie could finish, Danielle interrupted them, "I think I'm going to be sick…"

Ronnie quickly ushered her daughter to the downstairs toilet, getting there just in time as Danielle vomited into the toilet. Brushing back her baby's hair, Ronnie rubbed her back and knelt on the floor beside her daughter.

"Its ok sweetie," Ronnie soothed as Danielle who looked at her with bleary eyes and the remnants of her stomach around her mouth. Using a piece of toilet paper, Ronnie wiped it away from her daughter's mouth before placing it into the toilet.

After several more minutes of helping her daughter wipe away the remains of the night and the memories, Ronnie smiled as Danielle collapsed into her arms whispering things that made no sense. "I'm here, it's ok"

She passed her a cup full of water as she aided her to drink it, gently holding the glass and wiping the hair out of her daughter's face. She placed it by the side of her as she felt Danielle's body become heavy and sleep take over her, Ronnie slouched up against the wall, "I know I should tell you, but I can't...I'm too afraid of rejection Danielle, of hurting you, but I love you, you have to know that," Ronnie played with her daughter's hair as she slept in her arms, this is how it should have been, how it should be – a mother and daughter together.


	10. Chapter 10

_The day that she had dreaded had finally arrived. She knew that this day was inevitable; the day was destined to arrive after the incidents that changed her life forever. Today was going to be torture. Today was her daughter's funeral. _

_Ronnie had to physically drag herself from her bed, a look of gloom and sadness etched across her face as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Why did that have to happen to her? Why had this had to happen to her and her daughter? Her Amy?_

_She sniffed back tears as she thought about the day ahead. It made her feel physically sick, thinking about her daughter going into the ground alone. Danielle should be with her, they should be together – having fun. _

Ronnie brushed Danielle's hair back from her face as she vomited into the toilet once again. She rubbed her daughter's back and handed her a tissue to wipe her mouth as Danielle gratefully smiled at her; Ronnie instantly grinned back.

It had just gone past seven in the morning and Danielle was now nursing a torturing hangover. She had awoken to find herself in the arms of Ronnie and on the floor of the bathroom, and confusion had set in. Asking Ronnie what they were doing here, Ronnie had simply laughed before Danielle felt the need to vomit once more.

Murmuring thanks, Danielle attempted to stand up before falling back down onto an amused Ronnie, who aided her daughter to stand up. The room was silent, and after a night of staring and cuddling her baby girl, Ronnie was determined now was the time to tell her daughter, who she really was. She was ready to forge the relationship she desperately craved.

"Hey, it's ok – I've got you," She spoke motherly like to her daughter as she held Danielle's arms whilst raising herself of the ground at the same time. Danielle, unsure what to say simply smiled and patted down her clothes once she had stood up.

Danielle wasn't sure what to make of Ronnie – she was always there, always seemed to be watching exactly what Danielle was doing. Yesterday's admission had shaken Danielle slightly and she felt uncomfortable in this woman's company. Yet, there was some connection between them, some past that Danielle couldn't seem to remember, every memory slipping away before she had chance to recall it.

"So, what exactly happened last night?" Danielle cleared her throat before she spoke, her voice slightly weary of what Ronnie was going to tell her. Her head was pounding and her stomach empty but she knew she couldn't eat anything – not yet.

Ronnie smiled as she tilted her head to the side, allowing her now slightly greasy and matted hair fall across her shoulder, "Roxy let you have a bit too much to drink." How could she be angry at such a perfect being? Such a perfect daughter? She simply took her breath away.

"Sorry," Danielle apologized as she felt her face flush red with embarrassment.

"It's ok," Ronnie replied, relishing at how cute her daughter looked when she was embarrassed. Crossing her arms, Ronnie let her eyes drift across the small bathroom before settling once again on her daughter. She saw Danielle bite her lip with nerves as the two women stood there in their silence. "Do you want some breakfast?" Ronnie asked after a few moments, the nerves building up inside her as she thought about telling her daughter the truth. It was such a big task, something she was sure would drag up painful memories for her darling daughter; and she wasn't prepared to hurt her baby more than she had already.

It was such a large momentous task, a position she never thought she'd be in and here she was, cowering away from telling the truth for the fear of rejection, yet that was what she had put her precious daughter through again and again.

"Sorry, stupid question," Ronnie mumbled as she Danielle's face grimace at the mention of food. Her daughter had obviously inherited her definition of a hangover; Ronnie smiled at the similarity.

Danielle shrugged, "I could do with a drink though," Staying in the bathroom with this woman who had only come into her life the day before didn't seem very appealing; a bit more space was needed between them to ease the tension forming.

In the kitchen, Ronnie was searching every cupboard for something to have to drink, determined to do this right. She had to prove to herself that she was up for the job she had longed for since she had been fourteen years of age. Nineteen years of waiting and she was finally here, with her baby.

"Sorry we don't have anything else," Ronnie apologized after placing a selection of drinks on the table, watching carefully as Danielle's eyes glanced to each drink and back again. Ronnie stared in awe as Danielle poured herself a cup of orange juice; how could she have been alive all this time? How could she have been living here all by herself?

"Ronnie?" Danielle wearily spoke out as she latched onto Ronnie staring at her. This blonde woman was starting to scare her, always staring at her like she was something special. She wasn't, she was just plain old Danielle.

"Sorry," Ronnie apologized, shaking her head and tucking her hair behind her ear. She felt embarrassed that her daughter had caught her staring but she couldn't help it; she needed to know every little thing about her daughter. "How are you feeling now?" Ronnie eagerly requested.

"Still like death," Danielle giggled, bemused at the aspect of Ronnie asking mere moments after the last time. She was acting like a mother!

Ronnie grinned as she heard Danielle's laugh – she had waited for so long to hear that sound and it was so much better than she had anticipated. She dreamed of times like this in the future, with Danielle lying in her arms knowing who she was and wanting and loving her. She dreamed of having her daughter around every moment and sharing her secrets and fears.

Danielle laughing grew quieter and Ronnie knew she had to reveal her identity, she knew she had to tell Danielle the truth.

_er Her_


	11. Chapter 11

Sitting across from each other on the breakfast bar, idle chatter had fallen between Ronnie and Danielle, with many stories from the past being shared. To Ronnie, it meant the world, it meant everything. Her baby was here. The words were on the tip of her tongue, the truth that she desperately wanted out so she could hold Danielle in her arms once more.

"Gareth – that's my brother – always tried to take me out into town with him but I was always too scared," Danielle laughed slightly at her memory. Talking about drunken tales with Ronnie had cheered her up and had made her hangover feel slightly more bearable.

"I never needed much persuasion," Ronnie smiled as she heard Danielle laugh; it was so perfect, so gentle and loving. She cupped her hands around her mug of coffee and drank it slowly, watching as Danielle did the same with her drink.

Danielle winced as she placed the cup back down on the surface, holding her head in her hands and letting out a loud sigh. She was physically and emotionally exhausted; and the hangover she had acquired was of no help.

"I have some paracetomol in my bag if you want," Ronnie asked, her voice full of worry and concern. She hated seeing Danielle like this; it made her look vulnerable and so child like. She wanted Danielle to live pain free, to live a happy life and not be afraid or encounter more pain. She had caused her baby enough pain, Ronnie scolded herself.

"Oh, no it's fine," Danielle shook her head slight, regretting it almost instantly as she felt pain surge through her body. She took another sip from her cup of cold, refreshing juice, "It's my own fault anyway,"

Ronnie clambered off her chair and left the room for an instance, not even considering letting her daughter go through this 'pain'. Danielle sighed as Ronnie left her alone, closing her eyes for a second as she let out a yawn. She couldn't ever remember been that drunk or this hung-over before. She felt slightly embarrassed about it; she couldn't remember what she had done last night, whether she had embarrassed herself or said something she shouldn't? Danielle cringed just as Ronnie came back into the kitchen, clinging her handbag.

Placing the bag on the worktop, Ronnie rummaged around in the bag trying to find the pain killers for her baby. As she was doing so, she knocked her purse out of her bag sending it flying across the work surface. Her black purse lay open, showing off all of her cards and much to Ronnie's aghast, a picture of her baby. A picture she had treasured since she had found out Danielle had 'died'.

Ronnie moved her head to face her daughter, her mouth agape as she gasped, rather more loudly than she had intended. Danielle looked at Ronnie confused before allowing her eyes to drift to what she was staring at. Her eyes narrowed as she latched onto the picture.

She could feel her heart thumping in her chest as she stared at the picture of herself. She couldn't remember having this photo taken… so why did Ronnie have it? Why did Ronnie have a photo of her anyway?

Her airway felt constricted as she tried to gain an understanding of what was happening…

"Danielle…" Ronnie whispered. She was desperate to explain, desperate to make her baby understand and remember who she was. Upon seeing Danielle's reaction, Ronnie knew it wouldn't be easy but she was determined to try; it was the least she owed her daughter.

"Why…why…" It was all Danielle could manage as her eyes remained fixed on the image of herself; She looked so happy, her hair was shorter and that coat – she recognised it but she had no idea if it was hers or not.

Ronnie repeated her daughter's name once again, her voice calm but close to breaking. She was interrupted by Danielle who looked in disgust at her mother; Ronnie felt her heart break. "Why do you have a picture of me in your purse?" She spat the words out, instantly trying to brush her hangover away and focus on the issue in hand.

"Please, let me explain…" Ronnie began, the pleading in her voice was distinctive and she could feel the tears forming in her eyes; this wasn't how it was suppose to be. Danielle was supposed to remember, she was supposed to welcome Ronnie with open arms and she was meant to understand.

"Where did you get it?" Danielle stood up from her seat, looking in anger and disbelief at the blonde woman in front of her. Ronnie couldn't muster up the words in her mouth, before Danielle shouted the question again.

How was she supposed to explain? The words were there, on her tongue ready to be used but yet she couldn't find the courage to say them. Her heart was already torn, already broken from so much grief and heartache.

"I don't remember that photo been taken, where did you get it?" Danielle asked once again, anger laced in her voice. Why wasn't this woman providing the answers that she needed? She was feeling more and more uncomfortable by the minute…

"Please Danielle; you have to listen to me…" Ronnie pleaded with her daughter as she too stood up from her chair. Cautiously she made her way around the breakfast bar ending up opposite her daughter, and gently extending her hand. She needed Danielle to understand, to believe her. She had to. "I can explain ok, just let me explain,"

Danielle moved away, increasing the gap between them as Ronnie felt the tears gradual escape her eyes and fall down her face.

"Go on, explain then!" Danielle shouted, her anger building up and escaping all at once. This was so unlike her; she was normally so timid and shy but this woman was creeping her out; making her feel uneasy and Danielle wasn't sure what to do!

"I…I…" The words evaporated from Ronnie's mouth as she forget everything she was going to say. How could she expect Danielle to understand when she herself hadn't even believed her baby when she told her the truth…

"You're sick," Danielle shook her head as she spat out her words, "This…" she picked up the purse and threw it at Ronnie in desperation, "This isn't normal!"

Both women stood in silence, listening to each other's breathing as Ronnie stared at the purse on the floor. "I had a baby when I was fourteen…" she whispered, not even daring to look up at her precious daughter and face any more heartache. They both deserved more, much more.

Confusion flooded Danielle's face as she stood opposite the older blonde woman, listening intently onto each word but readying herself to let out more anger and more disgust. Why did this woman have a photo of her? It scared her. It worried her.

"And my dad…he…he took her away from me," Emotion flooded in Ronnie's voice as she recalled the memory from her past, trying to hold onto every memory she had of her baby daughter.

"What has your dad got to…" Before Danielle could finish her sentence, Ronnie butted in, "He told me she'd died…my baby had died," The crystal tears filled her eyes as Ronnie raised her head to look at her daughter; she was so perfect.

"But she hadn't…she hadn't died," Ronnie shook her head, repeating the words again and again as she recalled the heartache she had so cruelly faced again and again. Danielle stood awkwardly in silence, not really understanding what Ronnie was on about.

"She came to find me and she told me who she was, but she died in my arms," Sniffing back the tears, Ronnie tried to continue, "But she didn't…"

"You…Danielle, you're…" Ronnie stumbled over her words, not really sure how to say the words…

"What?" Danielle demanded impatiently, not really understanding what Ronnie was trying to say.

Ronnie sighed, the tears dribbling down her face as she finally whispered the truth, finally whispered the words she had longed to say for so long, "You're my daughter,"

**Thank you for the reviews, they really are appreciated! **


End file.
